Rebirth of the Time Lords
by 0RamblingRose0
Summary: An AU fic where Rose leaves of her own accord. Rose leaves but won't tell the Doctor why, just to come back at a certain time... But when he does, can he stop the predestined paradox that occurs?
1. Chapter 1: Goodbye

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey. Notes: 10/Rose. very AU.

Chapter One – Goodbye

"I love you!" The Doctor spat out. It had gotten the desired effect of making Rose stop in her tracks. "Is that what it will take to keep you here? If that's all then I'll say it, I'll admit it." His dishevelled brown suit and rumpled hair was a testament to the anguish he felt at the prospect of her leaving.

Perhaps he had made a mistake of some sort, by returning Rose back home immediately upon her request. IHe should have seen this coming; he should have mistaken the coordinates. Anything but this/I! Perhaps he should have tried harder to get her to tell him Iwhy/I she had to leave…

She had dropped her bombshell suddenly and late that afternoon, after a visit with her mum. Rose had returned to the TARDIS to tell him.

"I need to stay here Doctor," she had said softly. "IOn Earth/I, in this time."

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she had only been half-heartedly into the admission. She wouldn't meet his eyes, instead she had been looking down at the feet she was nervously shifting back and forth. He asked why and all she would say was, "I just do."

She turned to go and simply walked away from him, with quick but rigid steps, out of his life. He could only watch her walk down the platform and open the door. Just before walking out, she turned to him slightly. "I Ican't/I say why, Doctor. Just trust me that it's for the best. Swing back around twenty years from now and pick me back up. I can explain it better then. Or, at least I hope I'll be able to." She looked out into her world then looked back at him. "Please don't forget me, Doctor?"

"I won't Rose. I promise," he said quietly and watched her as she left for her old home.

After all the two of them had done… how could she have been able to leave him so easily? All their travelling, fighting, and loving together had led to her just abandoning him and leaving him alone? Something didn't quite add up right in the equation.

He wasn't sure how long he had stood there, watching the door, hoping she would run back and tell him it was all a joke. After a long wait, the TARDIS brought herself to life. He had tried to stop it, but she had already thrust him through space and time. He ran over to check the coordinates TARDIS had selected and made a mad dash to try and reset the coordinates.

"No! Stop!" he shouted, still trying to reset the coordinates for the time and place he had just left. "What if she changes her mind?"

No matter what he tried, the coordinates automatically reset themselves for one place and one time:

Barcelona, some three thousand years after the end of The Time War.

When TARDIS materialized, the Doctor stepped out of the ship. He was standing in front of a vast shrine that he had heard of in legends as a child, but had never known if it were a fact or fable.

The Shrine of The Time Empress, the stone sign proclaimed in large letters. A path of white stone lead up to the large building that was made of the same material. The way the sun reflected off the white building reminded him of the heart of TARDIS.

He looked up at it confused and muttered, "It Idoes/I exist." Even though, theoretically and historically speaking, it was foretold to have been impossible to exist, it stood gleaming in front of him like a beacon of hope.

Like him, she lived somewhat outside of space and time, travelling through it with ease and able to do anything she pleased. It was rumoured that it was a piece of her very soul that guided the TARDIS. But those were all just silly legends Gallifreyans told the loomlings as sleep stories… or at least he had Ithought/I they were.

The Doctor, like most other Gallifreyans, never expected that the legends were actually true. The idea of a singular being able to house and control the Vortex was a thing of fantasy, especially when anyone or anything that tried died.

Cautiously, he approached the gleaming white steps of the shrine and climbed until he reached the entrance. A small child was sitting there reading a book. When he approached, she looked up and gasped in awe. She instantly dropped her book and threw her arms around his leg.

"Doctor!" the girl breathed. "I never thought I would actually get to meet you." She stepped back and curtseyed. For some reason, her toga-like dress and high ponytail seemed to fit in perfectly with the building, as if she was being trained as a temple priestess of sorts.

"That's not necessary," The Doctor said hushed and embarrassed tone. He knelt down to the child's eye level. "How do you know how I am?"

"I've read all the books about you, Doctor," she piped with pride. "The Empress has been expecting you. Said she had something to tell you, that it would bring you hope since Rose is no longer with you."

The Doctor stood up quickly and looked down at the child. "You know about Rose? The Empress knows about Rose?" his voice rising in pitch and volume with surprise. "How could either of you know about Rose?"

"She knows about every Time Lord and Lady in existence, as well as their companions. She Iis/I the Empress of Time you know," the child replied flatly. "But you wouldn't know about that yet, right now, she is just a legend you grew up with."

The girl's speech was well beyond her years, the Doctor wondered if she was trapped in time. She took his hand and opened the door. "Come on, I was told to make sure you came to her. It's easy to get lost in there but I know the way around." She jigged slightly with excitement and grinned widely. "Just wait until I tell my big brother I met you… He'll be jealous!"

"Why is that?" The Doctor asked with amusement. His voice echoed off the vast walls around him.

"All the Time Lords and Ladies would love to meet Iyou/I, Doctor." She had answered as if it should have been the most obvious answer to his question.

The Doctor knew most of the counsel held no great love for him. His face darkened with anger and pain. He blew out a breath trying to calm himself. "Wait a moment… The Time Lords were all killed in The Time War. So how is it possible they all want to meet me?"

"You'll see in a moment, Doctor. This is really exciting. I never thought II/I would be the one to guide you. It's really an honour to do so. I read about the young girl in the books that showed you this moment, but I never in a millennia would have thought it was Ime/I I was reading about. The History is dodgy like that, never giving the name of the companion that travelled with the legendary Doctor and his legendary students…"

The Doctor was puzzled about the way the girl was talking about future events as though they had already been written. The idea that he was going to be playing, apparently, a big part in Time Lord history was intriguing.

The child pulled him into a room. As soon as the door closed, the walls exploded in a glow of gold so bright that he had to shield his eyes. The child simply gasped an amazed, "Wow… The Vortex..."

"Hello, Doctor," a strong feminine voice said form the depths of the light. The voice was gentle and soothing to The Doctor's ears, like a song intended to bring him peace. A shadowed figure stood at the very centre of the light. "I welcome you to my home. It was I that asked the TARDIS to bring you here. I felt it time for you to know, you are not alone. I have been here for you, guiding you back to me."

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked. "I mean, other than the obvious 'Empress of Time' thing."

"I am life, I am death. I am the beginning and the end. I am the Empress of Time and Space. I do not have long, Doctor. Just long enough to tell you… Do not feel alone. When you return to Rose she will not be alone. Teach her companions your ways. As you are the only Time Lord in your existence… You are the one that must prepare the future Lords and Ladies of Time. This is all I ask of you, my Doctor. It is time for the Time Lords to be reborn. Take this child with you. She must also learn your ways."

"What's there to teach?" The Doctor asked.

"Everything," the voice whispered. "Teach them how to utilize your secrets. Your new companions will all have the blood running through their veins to withstand them. So teach them, Doctor. I need to stay here. But trust me when I say, I will be with you every step of the way."

"What new companions?" he called but it fell on blank walls. The golden light had already began retracting itself, as if it was water going down a drain, leaving the room in darkness. The child beside him squealed with delight and hugged him about his knees.

"I get to go with you!" she giggled. "Fantastic!"

The Doctor looked down at the small girl with a bemused smile. "You're right, it is fantastic."


	2. Chapter 2: The Companions

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. AU. 

Chapter Two - The Companions

It had been an interesting return trip to Earth.

He learned the girl child was six years old and named Lilith. She had been born on Gallifrey and sent to the temple at the Empress' request, even though her house had no real social standing. He was also surprised to learn that looming had long been abandoned and several other laws and rules had changed since the end of The Last Great Time War.

Lilith was more than eager to learn the basic controls of the TARDIS, even though she was too short to reach a lot of the controls on the console. When the Doctor had tried to select the date to the same year he had left Rose, the TARDIS had instantly reset it for twenty years later. After several attempts to change it, the Doctor figured it was futile to argue with the ship. She seemed to be teaming up with the Empress against him.

He could feel his hearts beating faster as the TARDIS began materialising in her chosen time and place, at the Powell estates. IWill I have to hunt Rose down/IThe Doctor wondered. ITwenty years is a long time for her to have stayed in one place. Will she even be Rose Tyler anymore? Or could she have made a life with some bloke that wouldn't have been able to give her all the adventure she deserved in her life/I Lilith looked up at him. "Well, Doctor, aren't you going to let them in?"

The Doctor paced nervously, scratching at the mussed tumble of hair. "Do you think she'll still feel the same way about me? How much do six year olds know about life in your time?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Lilith asked. "You're IThe Doctor/I. And I know everything Doctor, comes with being a descendant of the Reborn Time Lords. At least Ithat/I hasn't changed from the original rules."

The Doctor had so many questions he wanted to ask Lilith. Since she "knew everything about him" maybe she could tell him who his "legendary students" were and what role Rose played in all of this. But the only thing his mind kept shifting back to was the thought of Rose, standing outside waiting for him to let her back in.

"Do I look alright?" he asked the child, straightening his jacket and finger combing his unruly hair to make himself look a little less unkempt. "I don't look horribly mutated or anything do I?" He swiped at his nose slightly. "No sort of gross old nose hairs hanging out?" he sniffed deeply a few times just to make sure.

"No, now quit smartin' and let them in already Doctor," Lilith said with an impatient sigh that seemed oddly ironic for a six year old of Gallifreyan decent. Then again she Ihad/I said several things had changed "If you wait much longer they'll die of old age. The anticipation is killing me! I can't believe I'm part of Time Lord history! Let them in!"

The Doctor looked at Lilith oddly, "You are aware that you are a very strange child?"

"You haven't any idea," Lilith said with a serious tone.

Finally unable to find other distractions, the Doctor bounded down the platform. He held his breath as he swung the door open.

It wasn't the cold rush of winter air blowing into the TARDIS from outside that made his breath whoosh from his lungs the moment he saw Rose, twenty years older but, unmistakably Ihis/I Rose. The hair colour was different. The blond seemed to be ages gone, what remained was a lovely, natural, mild brown. Other than that and darker freckles, Rose was still Rose.

She broke between the four people that had been standing in front of her and threw her arms around him in a fierce hug. "I never doubted you would come back, Doctor," she murmured against his neck. She stepped back a few paces and smiled at him.

The Doctor looked her over. The look of sophistication and maturity that radiated around her made Rose look even lovelier than he remembered. He looked at the four companions she had with her. IDoes she know they were commanded by the Empress to come along with them on their new adventures? Do the companions know/I His hearts fell as he saw Rose's characteristic nose on the faces of three of the four young companions, two of them even had her eyes. IShe moved on/I, he thought sadly. The three strapping lads and lovely young girl alone proved that.

"Oh!" Rose gasped. "My children… I almost forgot." She scurried over to the tallest one and rubbed his arm affectionately. "The oldest, he likes to be called Dee. Then we have, Mick." The second tallest boy waved slightly. "My daughter, Ambrosia. And lastly, the youngest of my evil spawn, Jack. I forgot, this is Itechnically/I the first time you have met them."

The youngest, Jack, looked to be about eleven. He had his mum's big brown eyes and apparently his father's dark, almost black, hair. From there, they all went upward in age. Ambrosia was the spitting image of her mother when he had first seen her as a London shop girl, including the ridiculously bleach-blond hair. The only thing un-Rose about Ambrosia was her nose, which The Doctor could have sworn he had seen on another face, in another time.

Mick was a bored looking boy with dark eyes and his mother's mild brown hair. There was also something very, oddly familiar about Dee. The Doctor couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt he Iknew/I his face from somewhere and some time in the past.

From the look of Dee, Rose had spent no time mourning her decision to stay in her time for twenty years. The children, however, looked almost as ecstatic to see him as Lilith had been upon his arrival outside of the shrine. Only they seemed to be torn between the idea of giving him a hug and avoiding his gaze.

The Doctor definitely felt like he was missing something, but decided not to let Rose know precisely how much it hurt to know she had evidentially moved on. "Rose, you've been busy!" he managed with good humour that he worried had sounded somewhat flat the moment they left his lips.

"Yeah, I guess I have." She gazed over her children with pride. The Doctor was gaping at her like a fish out of water. Rose beamed at him, trailing her fingers affectionately through his hair. "I'll explain later," she managed with nearly a straight face. The look in her eyes betrayed the calm demeanour. It was the same look he had seen several times before she had decided to leave him. It was the look she gave him when she was about two seconds away from pouncing on him.

The Doctor cleared his throat and took a step away from Rose. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let--" His voice cracked so he cleared his throat again. "Let's all get going. You are all coming, yeah?" Rose's children smiled with excitement and rushed into the TARDIS. "Rose what stories have you been telling these wee monsters about me?"

Rose lingered, a smile evident on her lips. The Doctor gazed at her bundled up form. He didn't know whether to kiss her or shake her hand, in the presence of her children. It dumbfounded him. IWould they give him dirty glares for trying to make a move on their mother/I In the end, Rose made the decision and hugged him tightly once more. He felt the warmth of a tear on the side of his neck. She sighed, "Just this an' that."

He wanted to ask why she was crying and about the children. But it could wait, he knew there would be a time and place for that later. For now, he would take all of them on a series of adventures. He pulled away from Rose and started for the door of the TARDIS. He grinned widely as he asked Rose, "Well, Rose Tyler, where would you like to go? Your choice. That is… if you want to go?"

Rose's eyes shined at hearing those old, familiar words. She rushed around him excited to be off. He felt a quick tug as Rose latched her hand to his. It seemed almost nothing had changed. She still had the adventurous blood streaming through her veins, eager to see what sort of wild things her Doctor had to show her. He stopped and it yanked her so abruptly that she crashed into him. She grinned up at him.

"You don't have to ask Doctor," she said. "I'd rather be zooming through space and time than stuck in this place for one more minute."

"But are they ready?" He gestured towards the kids that he could heard rummaging around inside the TARDIS. "Is this why you left me? Were you just so easily ready to have the life that involved kids."

"Oh there's more to it than that Doctor," Rose replied with a sly smile. "Let's go."

888

As The Doctor walked into the TARDIS with Rose, the oldest of her children popped up out from under the console, sonic screwdriver in hand. He tossed the screwdriver to The Doctor with a crazy smile. "How did you get this? And what were you doing to her?" the Doctor demanded sternly. The Doctor raced to the console to make sure the boy hadn't done anything to harm his TARDIS.

"You left it on the console so I tinkered. At any rate, that should fix her for a few jumps," the boy said and ran around the console to start turning knobs and tap things with his hand. When the TARDIS came alive, the boy threw his arms up victoriously, "She sounds wonderful!"

He could see no visible signs of harm, and the TARDIS was gearing up with a contented hum. He looked down at the sonic screwdriver in his hand then at Dee. He looked at Rose, which was gazing at the boy with maternal affection. "So he likes fixing things, does he?"

Rose looked at the Doctor and chuckled softly. "Oh, he loves tinkering. Where are we going Doctor?" The youngest of her children had attached himself to her side and she was petting his hair lovingly.

"Where do you think we're going Mum?" the boy asked wildly. He petted the console with reverence and affection. His face went pale. "Oh, you said 'IDoctor/I'. Thought you said 'Dee' mum, sorry." Dee looked across the console at the Doctor. "Care to share the destination, Doctor?"

"I think you know better than me," the Doctor replied, watching the boy's every move with interest. IHe's a little too familiar with the TARDIS/I he thought.

Dee gave one of the knobs a slight turn, never once breaking his gaze with The Doctor. "Barcelona, of course, mum." He grinned knowingly. "The planet, mind you, Doctor, Inot/I the city."

The Doctor opened his mouth to ask the boy how he knew about the planet Barcelona, then remembered… Rose was the boy's mother. Of course she was bound to tell her children about her adventures. The Doctor looked about the room and realized that he had never had quite so many companions at once before. Had the counsel been around, they would have definitely been onto him for having so many non-Time Lords on his TARDIS.

Then again, the Empress of Time had said that the ones coming along with Rose had the ability to take on Gallifreyan training. IWas there something he didn't know about them/IOf course, the answer was obvious since Dee had managed to tinker with the TARDIS without causing her any noticeable damage. Though, that didn't rule out the prospect of Dee causing unseen damages.

The Doctor was completely unsure what to teach them. He couldn't think of anything that he could instil in their minds at their advanced ages. In order to properly instil the knowledge that Time Lords possessed, he'd have to at least known them while they were children.  
Suddenly an idea came to The Doctor… All the pieces began to fall into place, how the boy knew how to work on and set the TARDIS, not to mention the sonic screwdriver.

"Rose, when we get to Barcelona, would you mind if struck out on my own for a while," The Doctor asked. He was afraid of what her answer might be. After all, from her perspective, he had been away for twenty years. She might take unkindly to being left alone again so soon.

"Of course Doctor," Rose replied unexpectedly, a little too easily for his liking. She smiled softly. "I am under strict orders to not say why I am so willing to be rid of you."

"Who would give you an order like that?" The Doctor asked crossly. "Was it your mother?"

"No Doctor," Rose replied. "It was you."


	3. Chapter 3: Hearts Desire

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey. Notes: 10/Rose. Somewhat AU.

* * *

Chapter Three - Hearts Desire

* * *

_"No Doctor," Rose replied. "It was you."_

The Doctor blinked, repeated. For once, he was at a loss for words. Luckily, he quickly recovered from the momentary lapse and laughed heartily. "_I_ told you? How could I have told you? That would put me at the risk of getting stuck in a time loop."

"I suppose it was a risk you were willing to take," Rose replied saucily. The Doctor gave her a funny look and was about to interject when she continued. "It's also why I was told not to tell you anythin'… It ran the risk of you undoing somethin' or some sort of jabber. You had a really complicated, fast spoken blur of an explanation that I could hardly understand about paradoxes and alternate realities an' such. You jumped into the TARDIS yelling, 'whatever you do, don't tell me… I want it to be a surprise!' and then you're gone and then you're back again." She looked toward the console and spoke sharply at her firstborn. "Dee, what have I told you about doing that?"

Dee jerked upright from where he had his ear pressed to the console, gently stroking it and whispering to it. "I didn't think he would mind," Dee said, jerking his chin at the Doctor then looking down at his feet and shifting from one to the other nervously.

"It's not a pet or a girlfriend, you know," Rose sighed. "This is a TARDIS."

"All the more reason for it to have love and affection…" both Dee and The Doctor said together. The two men looked at each other and laughed faintly.

Rose rolled her eyes. She looked up at the vault of branching cross structures overhead and sighed heavily. "Oh Dear God… Do I really have to be stuck with two of them?" She put a hand over her eyes and sighed again. After dropping her hand, she glanced at The Doctor. "I'll get the children settled into their rooms. You and Dee… stroke the TARDIS if you must." She made a slight shooing motion with her hands and collected her younger children and Lilith. As she headed for the corridors she tossed over her shoulder, "An' when I get back, I had better not have to plan a wedding between Dee and the TARDIS."

Once the Doctor was sure Rose was well out of ear shot, he walked up to the console and made sure all the knobs and levers were properly set. "You know, Dee…" he paused and a crease formed on his forehead "…What's that short for anyway? Dennis? Demetri?..."

The boy looked up with a half smile. "No, it's not." His eyes went back to where his hand was slowly stroking the console.

The Doctor pursed his lips. Dee's tone had sounded very final, as if any further questions about his name were off limits. "Can't help but notice you seem enamoured with my TARDIS… Why is that? You've only known her for minutes; sure she grows on people but never love at first sight…well except with me." He grinned at the memory then frowned in his confusion surrounding this exceptional boy in front of him.

Dee smirked, but didn't look up. "It's a beautiful machine. It—_she_— knows and does so many things… Who wouldn't be enamoured by her? Responds well to a kind hand and patience. Which is why I told her she didn't have to hurry to Barcelona, she could take her time."

"You know there're special attachments made for Time Lords that love their TARDIS a little _too_ much," the Doctor commented in an off-handed manner.

"Really?" Dee asked with a little too much interest.

The Doctor jerked his gaze at Dee with shock. "No," he coughed. "But since you asked--no, even _thought_--that, I would like to please ask you to kindly step away from the console."

"I wasn't being serious," Dee said with a frustrated sigh. "Mum says I have my father's dry humour, and fixation with fixing things and taking things apart… and getting into trouble. Actually, come to think of it, I can't think of anything she says I do like her." His face took on an expression as if he were searching his memory for such a moment.

"So, who is the _lucky_ bloke that helped Rose bring you into this world?" The Doctor asked, making sure sarcasm laced his tone so Dee could easily tell his disapproval of Rose getting over him so quickly.

Dee shrugged vaguely. "Some doctor she met in London," the boy replied simply. "He came around from time to time. Wasn't really a permanent fixture in the flat, just long enough to get mum pregnant again and lark off…" Dee's voice trailed off. "Can we _not_ talk about my father, please? The subject makes me somewhat nervous right at this moment."

"Why's that?" The Doctor asked. "Afraid I'll go back in time and knock him off so I can have your Mum for myself?" He smiled but part of it didn't reach his eyes. "I could make sure you don't exist!" This time there was a twinkle in his eye.

Dee snorted, desperately choking back a laugh. "No reason. I just didn't want you to think I didn't like him," Dee said. "Was quite the opposite really. I enjoyed his visits, always brought us strange and bizarre trinkets from places he'd been sent to. It was just a few weeks every two or three years or so. It was rather nerve racking. Always made sure we were taken care of though, if that's what you're worrying over."

The boy checked the console screen and grinned. "We should be in Barcelona in about eight hours. The lot of us are knackered, we've been so completely hyped waiting for you since late last night. Mum had us all stirred up. Goodnight." Dee gave a slight salute and excused himself with a grin, and an exaggerated, sensual stroke to the console.

He gave his mum a peck on the cheek as he passed her in the corridor. Rose gave him a quick hug and kiss before letting him through. She turned as Dee began to disappear from sight. "I laid out your pyjamas, right turn, down the corridor, third door on the left!"

The Doctor studied Rose as she continued shouting the good-nights down the corridors. He was mildly amused by the fact she was still very much a "jeans and trainers" type woman. She had abandoned her winter coat from earlier and he could admire the delicate curves of her hips and backside in the snug jeans. He was bit shocked and amused to realise he was admiring her body.

Rose shouted down the corridor, "Ambrosia! Tell Jack a story, he asked you nicely!" Finally she turned toward the console with an exasperated sigh. "Sometimes I swear Jack's still five…" She practically ran to the Doctor and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "God I've missed you, Doctor. Seems like it's been years since I last saw you."

When she pulled back from the hug, The Doctor saw that same old look of love in her eyes. Rose trailed her fingers over his cheekbones and lips. She had just lifted up on her toes and was a mere inch away from kissing him, The Doctor put his hand over her mouth. Rose snorted surprised and frustrated.

She lowered herself off her toes and lightly pulled his hand away from her mouth. "What?" she asked with a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

"Last time I remember," The Doctor started, taking a step back from her. "It _had_ been twenty years and you were asking me not to forget about you. Not to mention that you have said several times that you would 'explain later'. Is now _late_ enough, Rose? I would like to know. Did you really forget me that easily?"

Rose smiled softly. "Of course not Doctor… I couldn't forget you if I tried…and I haven't."

"According to Dee, you met up with some doctor in London that had a knack for getting you pregnant," the Doctor snapped. He knew he was being peevish but he couldn't seem to help himself.

Rose's hand flew to her lips. At first The Doctor thought it was in shock. Then he heard the amused mirth she was trying to suppress. She dropped her hand to reveal a large smile on her lips. "Is that what he told you?"

She stepped up to him and straightened the front of his coat, making sure the lapels were smooth and perfect. "Rest assured, _you're_ the only doctor that has been a pain in my backside in the past twenty years." She bobbed her head side to side and rolled her eyes slightly. "Well, other than the one that helped me birth the children, but I doubt _she_ had the ability to get me pregnant."

Rose smiled smugly and took a step away from him.

"Speaking of odd things," Rose continued, unaware of the odd look the Doctor was giving her; she walked around the console slowly, trailing her fingers along the surface, in a way that would have made Dee smirk, had he been there. "I thought Gallifrey was destroyed in the Time War? The girl mentioned something about being from there, in the future."

"Just one of many questions I had for Lilith," The Doctor replied. "Have yet to ask her though. But right now it's your turn to answer questions." He turned to her sternly. "So who's their father, really? I know it couldn't be me, biologically speaking Gallifreyans are unable to produce children."

"Can't argue with that logic I suppose," Rose commented with a trace of amusement in her voice.

"Come on, tell me," The Doctor insisted. "Last chance… If you don't tell me now I'll just keep asking you later."

"Good things come to those who wait, Doctor," Rose said in a soft, almost sensual tone. She had made her way back to him. She played with his tie, pulling him closer to her with each tug. "For right now, all the little monsters are in bed and I have a few itches that only you can adequately reach."

The Doctor was about to object, Rose was acting so much more forward than she had been as a young adult, he thought. She was a mature woman now, he mused. Rose gave him no escape and pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him, as she simultaneously reached for his trouser button.

888

"That was something I honestly did _not_ want to know about Mum," Ambrosia exclaimed for about the fourth time. "Not something I wanted to see! Not something I wanted to know still even existed!"

"At least we still had our clothes on," Rose argued. She finger combed her hair, trying to do away with the mess the Doctor had put it in. "Besides, Ambrosia, you're just about sixteen, you should realize by now that 'Mum has sex'."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ambrosia said with a slightly over-dramatic lurch forward while clutching her stomach. She swallowed hard and renewed her battle again her mother. "And quite honestly, Mum, your jeans and knickers hanging from one ankle, while he's shagging you against the console, doesn't qualify as having your clothes on."'

The Doctor finger combed his tousled hair and knelt down to look into Ambrosia's eyes. "You were supposed to have been telling Jack a story so, in all honesty it's on your head."

"Not going to apologize for possibly, permanently ruining my delicate human mind?" Ambrosia demanded. "Most children are forever traumatized by seeing their mum having a shag. It's just not Inatural/I. She should be too old for that sort of thing."

"Not apologizing," The Doctor said firmly. "And trust me, your mum is a very free spirited and beautiful woman. It's very natural for her to be having a go with a handsome devil like me."

Ambrosia wrinkled her nose, if possible, in even more disgust. "Typical!" she spat and raced for the corridors. "If you will excuse me, I have to go empty my stomach."

The Doctor plopped down on the floor of the console room with a laugh. "Lovely girl, really Rose," he said with an edge of sarcasm. "But, I'm guessing she takes after you mostly."

"Actually, yes," Rose replied. "I was the same way when I found out my mum was still going out for a shag every now and again."

"Why don't you go get some rest Rose," The Doctor suggested, rubbing her arm gently. "Dee set the travel time so that you all would have long enough to rest up a bit before getting dropped off. You wouldn't happen to know why he chose Barcelona of all places, would you?"

"Not the faintest clue." Rose smiled gently gave him a kiss before retreating down the corridor.

The Doctor approached the console and drummed his fingers on it in thought. His brain was a bit of a muddle after half a shag and all the humans running about in his TARDIS. After a moment he used the view screen to search for Gallifrey. To his surprise, Gallifrey appeared where it had been. It wasn't possible, but it was there. He took a closer look and was still unable to wrap his mind around it. His jaw was slack, his mouth hung open.

"How did this happen? When?" he whispered.

Instantly, the screen went to the moment Gallifrey had been destroyed. His hearts all but stopped the moment he saw it. All the people that died, undeservingly in the Time War… Suddenly there was a golden light from a far distant point. It filled the screen faster than anything known to him should.

A soft whisper came through the light, "I can create life where it once was... The innocent will not be forsaken."

The golden light shrank away and Gallifrey was restored to it's timeless universal and galactic location once more. The Doctor fell to his knees with shaky, disbelieving fingers he reached up and touched the planet on screen. "The Empress," he whispered in a hushed voice. He checked to see if other planets that had been destroyed in the war had reappeared. There was nothing but empty space where the planets had once existed.

"But why? When so many planets died in the war, why save Gallifrey? The others were far more innocent than the Time Lords," he railed at no one.

There was only one being in all the universe that could answer that question. And he had full intention of asking The Empress when they returned to Barcelona.


	4. Chapter 4: Barcelona

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Somewhat AU.

* * *

Chapter Four - Barcelona

* * *

It was two years after the end of The Time War, in Barcelona. The Doctor was unsure as to why Dee had chosen this specific time and date but he had and they were there.

The Doctor stepped from the TARDIS. He took in his surroundings and recognized the buildings as the same that had been across from the Empress's Shrine. He raced around the TARDIS and froze. The gleaming white building wasn't there. In fact, there was nothing there except a few trees, grass and a very old goat chewing and gazing at the TARDIS with mild disinterest.

Rose ran up to his shoulder. "What is it Doctor?" she asked, panting for breath.

"It's not there," he said quietly. "Why isn't it there? It's supposed to be there!"

Rose tilted her head, puzzled at the Doctor's confusion. "What's supposed to be there?"

"The shrine! The shrine is not there!" The Doctor turned as Rose's children and Lilith came slowly around the side of the TARDIS. "Where is it Lilith? Where's the shrine?"

The girl gazed at the empty space for a long moment, her eyes cloudy. "It's wasn't built until right before I was born, Doctor," she said vaguely.

Rose gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor," she said softly. "We'll stay here. You have things to get done." She stood on her toes and lightly pressed her lips to The Doctor's cheek.

The Doctor sighed heavily and lightly squeeze Rose's hand. "When I get back, we're going to be talking about those little ankle bitters of yours."

Rose slowly grinned. "When you get back, we won't have to."

"Doctor!"

Both Rose and the Doctor jumped when Lilith cried out. They looked back at the child, her eyes were wide and she was pointing to the empty land in front of her. The Doctor looked back and could see nothing. He knelt down to the child's eye level.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"It's there," Lilith whispered, her tone was hollow and sounded more like an echo than her real voice. "The Shrine is there."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing he looked back at Lilith's blank eyes. She jutted her hand out and grasped his coat sleeve tightly. "Lilith, there's nothing there," he said in a calm voice.

Wordlessly, Lilith released his coat sleeve and walked around him. The Doctor stood back up and turned to watch the young girl as she walked dreamily toward the spot where the future shrine would stand. She halted for a moment and turned to him.

She opened her mouth to speak. When her voice came out, for some reason, it didn't sound like her normal, childlike voice. Instead, the voice sounded very much like the one he had heard coming from The Empress. "Come on Doctor. My time in this dimension isn't infinite, come towards me."

Lilith walked forward and seemed to disappear into thin air. The Doctor looked at Rose and her children. The children flanked Rose as if trying to protect her. Rose offered him a small smile of encouragement. "Go ahead Doctor, we'll be fine," Rose said.

The Doctor looked back to where Lilith had disappeared and reached his hand out in front of him to see if he would be able to feel the entrance out. After a few steps, ripples formed around his wrist as his hand disappeared in front of him. He yanked his hand back out and studied it with curiosity. He stuck his hand back in and pulled it back in several times, each time his grin getting progressively bigger.

"Doctor," Rose commented. "I know you're enjoying playing with the portal, but…"

The hand of a full-grown woman shot out from the portal and grabbed his wrist roughly. Before the Doctor could object he was pulled forcefully into the portal. When he emerged on the other side, instead of a full-grown woman, Lilith greeted him. She curtseyed and bowed her head slightly.

"The Empress is waiting," she said with reverence.

The Doctor surveyed his surroundings. He had been pulled directly into the shrine. The long corridor was aglow with the familiar golden light. The source of the light emanated from the end of the passageway. Lilith took his hand and led him toward the light.

Once they were close enough, The Doctor could see the vague outline of what he could only describe as a throne. He could also see the vague figure of a woman sitting in it, her eyes glowing the same gold as the vortex that surrounded her.

"Lilith, leave us," the Empress commanded gently. The child bowed deeply and scurried into a side room. "Doctor, I understand you have questions about my plans for you."

The Doctor buried his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "No, not really. They are mainly just inquires pertaining to my interest in your recent actions." He took a few steps closer. With curiosity, he asked, "Such as… Why Gallifrey and not the other planets? I can think of several of them that were far more worthy of being saved…"

The soothing, echoing voice of The Empress was like music to his ears. It was an oddly familiar voice but at the same time very alien, even to him.

"You loved and protected me, so I love and protect you," the Empress replied with affection. "The Time Lords fought to protect me from ones that would try to control me. You of all people should understand that Time is one thing that should never be played with or controlled. I could not bring myself to restore all of Gallifrey though, my Doctor.

"In spite of all the good they did, the Time Lords had forsaken so many things. They had wrapped themselves up in so many rules and regulations that I could no longer allow them to exist as they were." He could see the Empress close her golden eyes and shake her head disapprovingly. "Looming was their way of playing the part of Gods. I cannot allow anyone to think themselves as Gods."

"But the curse…" The Doctor started.

"Gone," The Empress stated firmly. "In fact, I doubt it ever really existed except for in the minds of the ones who created the concept."

"What about you then, Your Highness? Aren't you a God? Creating and controlling what does and doesn't exist… who lives and dies…" The Doctor pointed out accusingly.

"No, I am merely a vessel," The Empress replied softly. "Like Lilith, I am here to assure that the continuum remains intact. She is the only thing of me that remains mortal, in a way. I know you have had questions regarding her origins."

"Amongst other things," the Doctor interjected.

"She is my daughter. When The Vortex chose me, I did not know she was on her way. She was merely a cluster of cells and matter within me. That is why she could see the shrine once her eyes grew accustomed to her surroundings. She can always see it, it transcends space and time so it is always here, even if just in the metaphysical sense. But she is the only one that can show others the way until it is physically constructed." The Empress's tone dropped to one of sadness. "She only knows what I let her know. She knows she has an older brother on Gallifrey, but she doesn't know who he is. Even if she were to see him, she wouldn't know him unless I allowed her to. Her mind does not know to age unless I will it."

"Why would you do that?" The Doctor asked angrily. He removed his overcoat and dropped it so that he could take on his most intimidating arm-crossed-over-his-chest pose he could muster. "She's a child for crying out loud, not some celestial pigeon for you to order about and control. I mean honestly, how old is she if you don't allow her to age? Though that would explain a few things as to why she knows so much, wouldn't it? I'd guess at least four hundred years old… five hundred at the most. I couldn't image a parent keeping their child a six year old for more than that. I've known a few six year olds that could be right terr--"

"Doctor," The Empress interrupted. She waved one hand in moderate annoyance. "I know you are a man of many words, but please…" He heard her sigh almost wistfully. "I suppress things because knowledge of all time and space is too much for one being to take, especially for one so young. If I didn't suppress them it would drive her to madness, no matter her age. If I wanted, she would know everything a Time Lord needs to know. I kept her young so that you could teach her how to live as the proverbial _normal_ being. Besides, I wanted her to enjoy being young and innocent."

The Doctor smirked and laughed slightly. "If you think I'm normal then you were given very wrong and skewed information."

At this, the Empress stood. The golden light flared as she stretched her hand toward him. He could almost feel the warm ribbons of light kissing his cheeks as the Empress took steps down from her throne. He felt his eyes grow heavy so he closed them. He felt his arm lift to take The Empress's hand.

"My Doctor," the Empress said softly. "You were the last Time Lords. Now you are the first of the new Time Lords. It is my gift to you, for all that you have done for me. Teach the children your ways, your knowledge. With your help, they will love and respect time and space… Then they will teach _their_ children their ways, and all will be as it should."

He felt The Empress's warm lips touch his cheek. For a moment his eyes opened. His eyes widened as he recognized the face of The Empress. He opened his mouth to speak but found that he was unable to get the breath to work through his throat to allow the words to become actual sound. Before his mind could firmly grasp the knowledge, the image of her face blurred in his memory and he could no longer remember who he had thought she had been.

For a moment, the Doctor could see a field of Remembrance flowers being blown by a gentle breeze. In the distance was the capital of Gallifrey, glowing with the same golden light that surrounded The Empress.

"Who I am is not important, Doctor. Lilith," the Empress called affectionately. "It is time for you to go learn the ways of the Time Lords."

The child scurried from the room she had been confined in during the conversation and bowed deeply. The Doctor couldn't help but notice that, for some reason, Lilith looked somewhat older than she did previously. He looked to the Empress, whom was once again seated in her throne.

"Happy birthday Lilith," the Empress said sweetly.

Lilith looked at her hands and gasped as she continued to age ever so slightly. She was growing taller; her hair darkened a few shades. Though her face still held a prominent child-like shape. When she stopped aging, she looked little more than twelve or thirteen years old. Lilith squealed with delight and raced to the Empress, embracing her wildly around the neck.

"Thank you Mum, you have no idea how much I have wanted this," he heard Lilith sob. Even her voice sounded somewhat older.

"Go, Lilith," the Empress whispered. "The Doctor is waiting."

Lilith bowed repeatedly as she backed away from The Empress, whispering softly over and over "thank you" as she did so. When she reached the Doctor's side, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She released the grinning Time Lord and took his hand, her eyes were brimming with tears of joy.

"Let's go Doctor," she said breathlessly. "We have some children to teach!"

As she yanked him toward the exit, The Doctor looked back over his shoulder to watch as The Vortex faded away and the diffused outline of a dark haired woman sat on the throne, with her face in her hands.


	5. Chapter 5: Not So Secret

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Somewhat AU.

* * *

Chapter Five - Not-So-Secret

* * *

_The Doctor looked back over his shoulder to watch as The Vortex faded away and the diffused outline of a dark haired woman sat on the throne, with her face in her hands.  
__  
_Back in the TARDIS over a cup of tea the Doctor racked his brain harder than he ever had before. That figure on the throne, the Empress, she was so familiar and yet he couldn't place her. It was frustrating to say the least. He couldn't help but think he had known her face, but for some reason he just couldn't put a name to it. Nor did it help any that every time he looked at the now thirteen year old Lilith, she also reminded him of someone, someone he couldn't place but felt that it should be very obvious. 

That child was, indeed a mystery. When she was age six, just hours before, she had held a sort of extreme fascination with him as if he were some sort of mythological hero. She had pretty much told him that was exactly how he was viewed as throughout the universe. Now when she looked at him, it was with something different in her eyes. There was something closer to respect and reverence, but not in a hero sense anymore. It was more like she viewed him as a protective and favoured older brother of sorts. _No, not older brother_, _a grandfather perhaps_.

At any rate, it was with the same respect and reverence children gave to an older role model. The Doctor couldn't help but wonder what all the Empress had told the child , and how long she had been held at age six… had it been years, decades, or even longer?

The sound of a song being whistled down the passageway made the Doctor look up from his tea. The tea had been sitting on the table in front of him for at least half an hour and had gone stone cold. The whistling was coming closer. He had retreated to the kitchen after everyone else had gotten tired and gone off to bed. He thought perhaps making some tea and just rolling his ponderings and suspicions around in his head would help him work out the pieces that seemed to be mysteriously missing from his memory.

The familiarity of the tune was another annoying tangent crossing his already overworked brain. He knew it intimately yet couldn't quite place it. It had been years—decades—centuries since he had last heard that one. _Where had he heard it_? When the whistling was replaced by a strong young male voice singing the actual words to the lullaby, he knew exactly why he recognised the tune. It was being sung in Gallifreyan.

The Doctor watched the doorway until Dee strolled in. The young man stopped abruptly. He looked like the proverbial animal caught in the headlights. After a moment, he seemed to recover from the surprise and nonchalantly strode across the room to make himself a cup of tea.

"Good evening, Doctor," the boy greeted.

"I think it's still night time out there actually," The Doctor replied with a wave of his hand towards the sleeping chambers. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? You seemed very tired after all the exertions this afternoon."

Dee shrugged and brought his cuppa over to the table to join the Doctor. "Eh," the boy hummed. "Only need two or three hours every few days. It drives my Mum nuts. Drove my girlfriend nuts too… until she kicked me out of her flat because I kept taking her television apart. Not to mention I made a nasty habit of keeping her awake at night because I made something or other explode."

"So you've a girlfriend back home then? Why'd you come along?" The Doctor asked.

Dee shook his head and carefully sipped at his tea. "She left me months ago." He pursed his lips and huffed, "Never mind the fact that once I got the telly or the exploded things put back together they worked better than before."

"Why?" he knew this might be personal, but part of him didn't care besides he wanted to know, asking was always the best policy.

Dee gave The Doctor a long steady gaze and then sighed heavily. "You know, Mum always liked you because of who you are. She knew you were an alien but accepted it and knew that there was nothing she could do to change that fact, even if she wanted to… which she never did, mind you. Heather… she tried to make me into something she knew I wasn't when she found out." He gave a quick, bright, good-humoured smile. "But oh well, as you would say, silly little ape didn't deserve me anyways"

The two shared a hardy laugh. Ambrosia stumbled in, rubbing her eyes.

"Could you two _be _any louder?" she grumbled. She rubbed her eyes again and shook her head to clear it. She blinked a couple of times then grinned brightly. "So, you were telling the good Doctor about The Bitch, yeah?" Dee gave a small nod. "I told you it was doomed from the beginning." She looked at the Doctor matter-of-factly. "She couldn't even understand something as simple as the manipulation of astral-physics. Mum at least knew to go 'what's that?' The Bitch just smiled and nodded and tried to turn the conversation to something of what was on the telly and the newest fast food spot down the way."

"Should you be talking like that?" The Doctor asked briskly. "You're what… Twelve?"

Ambrosia pursed her lips in mild annoyance. "I will have you know that I am almost sixteen years old," Ambrosia said with an aire of arrogance. "Mick and I are twins; he just looks older for some ghastly reason."

"Your snobby lit'le attitude more than makes up for it 'Brosia," Dee commented. He sighed, "As if you couldn't tell, she will never refer to my ex-girlfriend as anything other than 'The Bitch'. Never has… 'Less y' count her calling her 'Bit' to her face."

"The idiot actually thought I was giving her a witty nickname," Ambrosia muttered, snatching Dee's cuppa and claiming as her own. "And I don't have an attitude, _Doc_… I just know I'm much more mentally advanced and better than everyone on Earth." She beamed a smile at The Doctor. "I'm actually rather nice when around people of the same mental capacity."

"Which pretty much means she's nice to no one," Dee snickered, getting up to make himself another cup of tea. "By the way, Doctor… Ambrosia has the same sleep patterns as me."

The Doctor felt his curiosity peak. He suddenly felt very inspired to start telling the two all about the habits of the Gallifreyan people… so he did. "On my home planet… adults can get by with a decade of sleep every hundred years or so. Maybe I should take the lot of you there since it just mysteriously reappeared. I'm sure the two of you would love it, it's a fascinating place."

Dee returned to the table. "I want to go to Gallifrey and see the Vortex choosing The Empress. It'd be interesting to see who spawned Lilith. But it's not _so important_ that we go right this very moment, because Mum wants us to stay here on Barcelona while you run amuck in our pasts."

"I can read a book just by touching it," Ambrosia spouted, apparently rather desperate to get the conversation back to herself.

"So can I but I don't like to brag about it," Dee commented, rolling his eyes. He nodded toward The Doctor. "So can 'e."

The Doctor scratched the back of his head and looked between the brother and sister. Ambrosia looked at him as if asking if the information Dee provided was true. "Yes, I can," The Doctor replied. "But I never really liked the practice much, per se, only if it was to be used for studies or something. Besides, there's nothing more relaxing th'n curling up with a five hundred page book when one has a little extra time on their hands."

Ambrosia looked at her brother. "I think we should tell him, Dee."

"No," Dee replied. He cocked an eyebrow as if in challenge to his sibling. "Mum wants to tell him."

"But it's driving me crazy Dee," Ambrosia whined. She inhaled sharply and looked at The Doctor wildly. "Doctor, you're o--"

Dee dove across the table and clapped his hand firmly over Ambrosia's mouth. The Doctor jumped to his feet as the table was knocked over in the process, sending cups of tea flying. When it seemed Ambrosia was to have the upper hand in the struggle, Dee delivered a quick, firm jab to a spot close to the her clavicle. Almost instantly, Ambrosia went cross-eyed and gave a lazy smile as she slipped to the floor unconsciousness.

Slowly, Dee got to his feet and wiped the little bit of blood on his lip. "Sorry 'bout that, Doctor."

The Doctor ruffed up his hair as he looked between Dee and Ambrosia. Some things were beginning to fall very much into place. If it were not for his own denial of even the possibility, he might have figured it out sooner. He narrowed his eyes at Dee.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not the 'Doc' she was referring to when she was telling us about her lack of an attitude?" The Doctor asked, getting so close to Dee's face that The Doctor could easily see the panicked look in his eyes.

"I haven't a clue as to what you're talking about," Dee said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Gallifreyan lullabies," The Doctor pointed out in a dangerous tone ticking each off on his fingers. "Minimal sleep patterns, the absorption of knowledge from a book just by touching it… Ambrosia falling unconscious just by you jabbing that spot at her collarbone… The little ape comment… You knowing exactly what can fix the TARDIS for a few jumps…"

"So? Maybe you were around from time to time while we were growing up," Dee retorted.

"And what reason would I have for coming around the lot of you?" The Doctor asked in a low, accusatory tone. "You really think just having a bit of a fancy for your mum would have made me come around to visit? No, no, no… If I know me--and I do--it would be because I didn't want to risk the exposure of any human-alien half-breeds being discovered on accident."

Dee took several steps back, the expression on his face was one of shock and hurt. "Human-alien half-breeds? Is that all we are?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to comment then stopped himself with a puzzled expression. "Okay, so maybe that didn't exactly come out the way I intended it to." He licked his lips as he ran his words over in his mind again then lightly worried the top lip with his teeth. "Right then." He looked at Dee and grinned widely. "Wrong choice of words, maybe? Let me try that again. Or maybe it was my tone? Was it my tone that made me sound spiteful and rude?"

Dee crossed his arms over his chest thoughtfully, a curious expression on his face. "It might 'ave… Run it by me in a more subtle tone and let's give it a try? And change 'any' to 'my'."

The Doctor cleared his throat, tried a few tones before finding one he liked and gave it a go. "It would be because I didn't want to risk the exposure of _my_ human-alien half-breeds being discovered on accident… That better?"

"Lots better," Dee agreed. He eyed The Doctor wearily for a moment. "You're not angry or anything? I mean, that we've been keeping it from you?"

"Should I be?" The Doctor asked. "If you want I can just take us back in time and completely undo your conception, but then that would cause a load of other problems wouldn't it? Much easier just to get on with it, no reason to be angry right? Just don't let your mum know I found out. I sort of like playing her little game. In fact, you don't even have to let your sister know."

The Doctor found himself grinning widely again. "Besides I'm kind of looking forward to getting to know your mum, if you know what I mean?"

Dee gave an almost violent shudder and plugged his ears. "Too much information there Doctor." He shuddered again then instantly went back to a cool, calm stance. "Does this mean I can tinker with the TARDIS at anytime now?"

"Can you pilot her properly?" the Doctor asked warily.

"Learned from the best…"

"The _only_… Or am I the only Time Lord left still?" The Doctor scratched his head in thought. "I'll have to ask Lilith later. This is getting very confusing."

"Touché," Dee smirked. "Well, then again I remember being told once that not _all_ Gallifreyans are Time Lords that the Time Lord title is one you have to study for. I'm going to go set the controls and see if I can get us to any place interesting. But first… I'm going to go kidnap that old goat outside and drop it into a black hole somewhere along the way."

"What goat?" The Doctor asked.

"The one that was outside earlier and just staring at us for no apparent reason," Dee offered. He shook his fist in mock fury. "No one looks at this TARDIS with disinterest and gets away with it!"

"Don't you even _think_ about bringing that thing onto my TARDIS," the Doctor warned.

Dee waved his hand dismissively and walked out of the kitchen to go about his own business. The Doctor raced to the doorway of the kitchen. He was torn between making sure they didn't gain the companionship of an old, Barcelonan goat and making sure Ambrosia was alright. Finally the thought of a goat stinking up his TARDIS overruled helping the overly-rude child and he ran toward the exit.

888

Somewhere in the depths of the TARDIS, Lilith removed her hand from the wall. It was amazing how easily she could now request that the TARDIS let her see what all was going on. She patted the wall affectionately and whispered, "Thank you." The TARDIS seemed to hum appreciatively.

Dee had been correct to point out that not all Gallifreyans were Time Lords. In fact, technically, The Doctor was in fact the last Time Lord. It would be his children that enabled the Time Lord title to once again flourish in the universe.

Lilith placed her hands against the wall again. "You know where we have to go," she murmured. "We must assure that the children are given the information they need… We must assure that the Empress is chosen. We alone must assure that all is as it should be."

In an instant, the TARDIS began her journey.


	6. Chapter 6: New Gallifrey

Title: Rebirth of the Time LordsAuthor: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Very AU. Sorry it took so long for this chapter... I actually have up to chapter eight written and ready for posting... I'm just kinda lazy and I also thought I had already posted them

* * *

Chapter Six - New Gallifrey

* * *

As the engines came to life, Rose ran to the console room to see The Doctor yelling orders at Dee. 

"I've already did that!" Dee shouted. "I'm not an idiot!"

"What did you do Dee?" Rose demanded.

"I didn't touch anything, Mum, I swear!" Dee exclaimed.

"The TARDIS took off on her own, it really did Rose," The Doctor added. "She's been doing that a lot lately, just larking off on her own." He patted the console affectionately. "But then, she always knows where we have to go."

"All right," Rose sighed heavily. She looked pointedly at Dee. "You're off the hook this time. I'll go get the others ready to be off." She put a kiss on The Doctor's cheek before breezing out of the console room.

The Doctor glanced over at his son and raised an eyebrow. "Something I should know about?"

Dee's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No," he replied a little too quickly. "Just some bad childhood habits and all. Nothing to worry about."

The Doctor eyed Dee with mingled distrust and amusement. "Why do I get the feeling I'll find out when I go back?" He shrugged and smiled widely. "Oh well, you're right there at it, tell us where we're going."

Dee looked down at the screen and half smiled. "Gallifrey. Or at least that's the conclusion I'm coming to since it's showing nothing on but a bunch of zeros on the screen. Or, rather, I guess you would call it 'New Gallifrey' since it was destroyed and all..."

The Doctor was about to say something when a new voice spoke up from the hall, "It was prophesized that when he -- aka, The Doctor -- arrives it would soon be time for the Eye of Harmony to select its host," a voice said firmly.

The two men turned to see Lilith standing in the doorway to the corridor. She had her long dark hair piled up on top of her head in a mass of curls. Instead of her all-too-familiar toga, she was wearing jeans, trainers, and wispy white tunic. If it hadn't been the fact each lace in her trainer was knotted on ether side instead of tied in a bow she would have looked entirely too serious and official for sixteen. In spite of it, she still looked like any other normal teenager.

"You make the Vortex sound like some sort of leech," Dee commented.

"I was just saying what the prophesy said," Lilith shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't that what it does?" she asked, walking up to the console. "It just uses my mum to give itself a voice that we can all understand. But the Vortex didn't want to have to do it. Evidentially The Gallifreyan people still felt they were better than time itself."

"That's preposterous!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Time and space is too vast for any one being to even grasp the idea of them being bigger and better."

"That's what you're for Doctor," Lilith smiled. "You're there to teach them better."

There was a familiarity to Lilith's smile. As if he had seen it on another face in another time. It made the Doctor think that maybe he had known her mother before she became The Empress. Part of him knew it was possible; Gallifreyans _did_ have a fairly long lifespan, even if they lacked the necessary abilities to regenerate.

"Actually, Doctor," Lilith piped, turning a few knobs for good measure. "Right now, you are the only Gallifreyan still able to regenerate. When my mother recreated Gallifrey, she wanted to be a little more exclusive with some of the rules."

"Oh really?" The Doctor asked blandly.

"Really," Lilith said in a hushed, sarcastic tone. "Only the Gallifreyan people that receive Time Lord education are able to gain knowledge of regeneration and the necessary Rassilon strand to do so."

"I wish you were eight again," Dee huffed. "You're too much of a smartass now."

Lilith bounced slightly on her feet as she grinned. "Dee, are you familiar with the letters 'S', 'T', 'F', and 'U'?"

"Hey!" Dee gawked.

"Okay children," The Doctor interjected. "That's enough."

The console room quieted down as the kids resorted to just making faces and the TARDIS finished materializing at its location. Not long after, Rose and her other three children came into the room, trying to get their shoes on.

"Who all has been to Gallifrey before," The Doctor asked. To his surprise, every hand raised promptly. "Oh... hands down then... Who all has been to the _New_ Gallifrey?" all hands went up, "Old Gallifrey?" Once again every hand shot up into the air. "Okay what fun is there in taking you places you've been?" He put his hands in his pockets and eyed the travelers. "Okay... who all has been to Sector Five of the Quadrant System?" Just Lilith raised her hand. "In person... 'mum consumed by the space time vortex' inherited visiting does not count." Lilith's hand dropped and he grinned widely. "That's better. Let's go then."

"Have you been to the new Gallifrey Doctor?" Lilith asked smugly.

"No, I haven't," he grumbled.

Lilith smiled brightly, her tongue catching between her front teeth as she did so. "Fantastic then. You are in for a shock. My mum redecorated a bit."

"What?! I will have to have very firm words with her when I next see her. I liked Gallifrey the way it _was_. She didn't have to go and change it!" The Doctor exclaimed as Lilith bounded to the TARDIS doors and thrust them open with gusto. A light filled the room, it was so bright everyone had to put a hand up to shield their eyes until the light evened out and the outside world came into perfect view. The Doctor fell silent as he took in what little he could see through the doors from where he stood beside Dee.

With wide eyes, he stumbled down the landing and out the doors, into a field of bright yellow remembrance flowers. The capital loomed in the distance like a beacon. From a distance, it still looked the same... The Capitol looming on the side of a mountain, covered in its dome. Well, that is the exception of the thousands of Remembrance Flowers surrounding it. The sky was still a mixture of beautiful hues of purple, green and yellow against the dark orange atmosphere.

The Doctor laughed loudly and fell face first into the flowers. He dug his fingers into the soil and then put the same fingers in his mouth, sampling the taste of Gallifrey. "It's Gallifrey," he laughed. "Rose! It's Gallifrey!" He turned onto his back and looked up at the deep orange sky. "And judging by the sky... It's _morning_!"

Lilith skipped past laughing happily until she tripped over her own foot, when she tried to twirl, and went face first into the flowers. Dee pointed at her and laughed, making some sort of rude comment about her clumsiness.

"Oh come off it, Dee," Ambrosia sighed. "You're no ballerina yourself." With that, she gave her older brother a shove, knocking him down on the ground too.

Lilith bound to her feet, a bright smile on her face. "Jack, Mick, come on... let's go greet the locals."

The youngest of Roses's children and Ambrosia's twin brother gave Lilith unexpected, bright smiles and raced to join her as she started striding toward the dome structure purposefully. Rose knelt down next to The Doctor and roughed his hair. She leaned over him and brushed a kiss on his forehead.

"Welcome home Doctor," she said softly.

"Oh don't start that again Mum," Ambrosia huffed with annoyance. "I don't want to see any more of that sickening lovey cripe."

Dee pulled himself to his feet and brushed his clothes off. "Oh and you're one to talk Ambrosia? You're just want to go see your boyfriend."

"Well, at least I have a love life," Ambrosia spat back venomously.

Lilith turned around and yelled, "Come on, you lot! They probably heard the TARDIS coming and are waiting for us." She took backwards steps. "Just wait until you get your TARDIS, Ambrosia... now _that_ is power and beauty."

As the children tramped away in the distance, bickering at each other, The Doctor looked up at Rose and grinned.

"I'm excited, are you excited Rose?" The Doctor asked cheerfully. "We're on Gallifrey, isn't that wonderful? And I don't even mind the changes. Though, I do kind of wonder how the Flowers of Remembrance are able to grow in this sort of terrain..."

Rose put a finger to his lips and shushed him gently. "Yes, Doctor, it is wonderful. Every time we come it's wonderful."

The Doctor lifted up onto his elbows and looked behind him the best he could. "Speaking of which... I am so excited right now that I can't help but realize that we could have the TARDIS all to ourselves, without any children to come in and interrupt."

"Actually, it's all locked up and secured," Rose pointed out. "And I gave Dee and Ambrosia the keys --" The Doctor made a move for his pockets and Rose laughed, "And Dee nicked the sonic screwdriver from the coat you left on the console. You should be more careful about where you leave that thing. Dee and sonic screwdrivers are a dangerous combination."

"Not that I would have used the screwdriver to get into the TARDIS anyway..." The Doctor hummed. "I'm sure the capitol is safe enough for the kids alone if you want to dotle around here for a while."

"And do what? Have a shag?" Rose chuckled.

"Well... now that you mention it..." The Doctor grinned. Rose shoved him down with a playful scoff.

"Nice to know that some things never do change," Rose said softly, leaning over him.

888

The Doctor and Rose meandered into the Capitol some several hours later, hand-in-hand. Rose just watched his expressions as he took in everything. Occasionally he would gasp in glee and run to take a closer look at something. Of course, they were things she had seen several times before but they were all new to him.

Rose couldn't count the times her and The Doctor had come to New Gallifrey with the children. Though, this was the first time there seemed to be a celebration of some sort going on. Apparently this was also something very unfamiliar to The Doctor because he kept wondering aloud what some of the decor was.

They were a good distance away from the citadel when they came to a crowd of amassed people. Lilith's voice rose above the crowd. "Haven't you been begging for him to return? To release the Vortex so that it can choose it's host?" Loud cheering deafened Rose's ears. "It is almost time! The chosen one walks amongst you now, just waiting for The Doctor -- Theta Sigma... The Oncoming Storm... whatever you wish to call him, whether you know him now, knew him in university, or fear him -- just waiting for him to release the power of the Vortex!"

"What's this madness?" The Doctor asked crossly. Without further warning he dragged Rose through the crowd. "Under no circumstances am I going to be the one to release the Vortex..."

The Doctor froze as Lilith called for silence, Rose ran into him as he stopped suddenly.

"Well, don't be rude," Lilith said. "Let him through."

Almost instantly the crowd of people separated. Lilith, flanked by the children, were up on a raised platform. The Doctor and Rose ran up and onto the dais. The Doctor looked across the crowd of people before getting face to face with Lilith, glaring at her angrily. "I may be crazy, but I am not fool enough to release the Vortex from the Eye of Harmony."

"Doctor, a word please," Lilith smiled. She pulled him away to an unoccupied portion of the platform.

Rose went over to check on her children. "Are you all right?" She patted each one down as if checking for wounds of some kind. "What's going on?"

"Lilith just formally introduced us to the people of Gallifrey," Mick commented quietly. "It wasn't like this when we were kids mum. We just sort of mingled in without anyone noticing us."

"And I remember her being older," Jack commented, nodding toward Lilith, who was still in deep conversation with The Doctor. "Why was she still little when we got on board?"

Rose looked over at Lilith and The Doctor's backs and smiled softly. "She had to grow up before she could help the Doctor train you." She looked at her children and smiled brightly. "But, you know Auntie Lilith, she never was normal... even for a Gallifreyan."

"You make her sound like Dad," Ambrosia commented. "And why did it take the two of you so long to get here?"

"We were enjoying the scenery," Rose said quickly. Ambrosia got a sickened expression. "And she always prattled on about having an older brother who's a Time Lord..." Rose continued. "Maybe the Doctor's her brother."

"But that's impossible Mum," Dee said with confusion. "She said she was born in New Gallifrey, if she was Dad's sister... She would have been loomed in the Old Gallifrey. And we went there! She doesn't even exist in the timeline until almost a year from now." Dee gasped and his eyes widened. "That means..."

"Lilith's mum is somewhere in the crowd," Mick injected, peering around him mother as if trying to find a face like Lilith's. "Either about to be or already pregnant with her."

"All together now," Lilith beamed, grinning ear-to-ear. "Fan-tas-ic!" She took in a deep breath and was about to repeat it when the Doctor nudged her in the back of the head.

"Stop it," he chuckled. "You are no longer allowed to use that word. It's _my _word."

"_Was _your word..." Lilith smirked. "Now it's mine."

Rose turned to face the Doctor, he was smiling vaguely. "Is it that good or that bad, Doctor?" she asked, a hint of a smile on the corner of her lips.

"Well..." The Doctor sighed. "We can have one of two options. Option number one is... I help the Vortex release itself from the Eye of Harmony and consume the Chosen One..."

"What will happen?" Jack asked. "I mean, I know the Empress and all will keep things in check but what happens to the Chosen One? Does she die?"

"No, no," Lilith cut in before the Doctor could answer. "She provides a conscious where the Vortex hasn't one. My mum just sits on a pretty throne all day letting the Vortex run through her brain and making sure everything stays in a continuum. She can change the things she doesn't like as long as balance remains. She assures the balance. Vortex saw nothing wrong with Gallifrey being rebuilt, so... here it is. Created from a single emotion so strong that it can shape the entire universe. The Vortex didn't have that, my mum does. It's part of the reason she is the Chosen One."

"What's the other option Doctor?" Rose asked.

The Doctor had been gazing at her blankly and shook his head to clear it. "Other option?" he asked hazily. "Oh... Since the Eye is becoming unsteady, the other option is wait and the entire universe just sort of collapses and is destroyed. What would you do Rose?"

"Existence or non-existence? Is that supposed to be a trick question?" Rose laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you knew better than to ask which is preferred."

"Even if it means it will condemn someone to a life of loneliness... her only company the child she doesn't know she's carrying?" He searched her eyes for an answer.

Rose just gazed up at him. "If that's what one has to do to assure the universe doesn't collapse, then so be it. Unless… You know who Lilith's mother is don't you?"


	7. Chapter 7: Return to the Past

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Very AU.

* * *

Chapter Seven -- Returning to the Past

* * *

_Rose just gazed up at him. "If that's what one has to do to assure the universe doesn't collapse, then so be it. Unless… You know who Lilith's mother is don't you?"_

The Doctor looked at Rose blankly again. He debated confessing who exactly it was, but realized that even if she knew, she might not change her mind. She'd been eerily logical about the situation. _The entirety of the universe in exchange for one life_. Just one, one that got to live for all eternity, albeit alone with just Lilith as her company. If Rose could think that way, he sure as hell could -- considering he had taken multitudes of lives to save the universe, he winced at that thought.

Besides, it wasn't the first time Rose had put everything on the line for the sake of others. He could still remember when the Slitheen had threatened humanity and she had been more than willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of humanity. And now here she was, willing to sacrifice an unknown vessel for the universe. Well, unknown to everyone save himself and Lilith. He knew who it was, and didn't want it to happen.

"Doctor…" Rose snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention to return. "Who is it? Who is her mother?"

"Rose," The Doctor said quickly. "You and the tribe stay here. Lilith and I have some things to do. We'll be back, I promise." The Doctor didn't wait for a reply, just quickly pressed his lips to hers and ran down the steps of the dais with Lilith on his heels.

"Move it, move it," Lilith yelled. "Time Lords coming through!"

The Doctor chanced a look back at Rose and the children. They were all huddled together waving to him. For some reason, he knew that it wouldn't be the last time he saw them. He looked over at Lilith, her face set on adventure, somehow he couldn't help but know as if he was remembering it from the future, it _would be_ the last time the children saw her.

As they reached the TARDIS, Lilith stopped at the doors and gazed at him with all knowing eyes. "Don't worry about me Doctor. I've the Empress of all space and time on my side, if I die she'll simply will me to live again."

Lilith pulled out her TARDIS key and let them in, tossing the Time Lord his sonic screwdriver as she did so. "Thought you might want this back."

888

The engines came to a soft hum, signaling that they had finished materializing. Before the Doctor could get to the screen to check their location, Lilith had already claimed it and announced. "Powell Estate, February, 200--"

"Excuse me," The Doctor interrupted, giving her a slight shove to the side to he could see the screen. "My ship." He narrowed his eyes at her and put his glasses on to get a better look. "Did you age again?"

Lilith looked herself over and yelped. "Blimey I did. I hate when that happens. I'd guess I'm about sixteen then, Ambrosia's age right? I'd something like this happen once before, fluctuation in ages and all…" She trailed off in thought. "About a hundred years ago, Mum felt a shift in time and I ended up being ninety-eight years old for about a week while she fixed the shift. Think I'll stay like this though, at least it's not the start of puberty and—" She suddenly seemed to get self conscious, "I need to go change."

Lilith darted down the corridor. When she returned she looked almost as if she could've been Ambrosia's twin, only in brunet. She whirled around grinning widely. "How does this do?" She stopped whirling and sampled the new curves and how the earth fashions fit them. "Gotta blend in and all so, I nicked a few of Ambrosia's things. I'm sure she won't mind since she's, technically, not even conceived yet and all."

"You look like a teenager, now let's get going," The Doctor said hurriedly, his mind not on fashion. He held out his hand and she took it with a bright smile.

They stepped out and took in the surroundings. The Doctor was a bit surprised that the cement courtyard looked exactly like it always had. The sky was a bit overcast and little bits of rubbish fluttered along the streets. He turned to face the building that would be their ultimate destination and saw a pink clad figure come running toward them.

"Oh great, Jackie," The Doctor grumbled, Lilith just snickered.

"Thought she told you not to be coming about," Jackie yelled as soon as she reached them. "She left on her own, no reason for you to be here. She can take care of herself. So, go on with yourself and…" she eyed Lilith speculatively. "Got yourself a new one then?" Jackie eyed The Doctor flatly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sure she would love this one. She told me all about that little frenchie you almost took along. Come 'ere to rip her heart out with a younger one 'ave you?"

"I beg both your pardons," Lilith huffed, folding her arms in challenge. "But I'm not French. And trust me, there's no worries of me trying to rip her heart out. Too much in love with time and space, me, to be bothered with the Doctor. Now where's Dee, the little ankle biter?"

The anger that had just been on Jackie's face melted away in an instant. "How--"

"Haven't seen him since he was nineteen. Always wondering what he looked like as a wee one," Lilith brushed past Jackie and started for the building.

Jackie watched the girl for a moment her eyes wide with shock and confusion then, she narrowed them and turned to glare back at the Doctor. "What're you doin' here?" she demanded.

"I'm here to see my son," The Doctor informed her curtly. Jackie's eyes widened, The Doctor just grinned widely. "Amazing what one can find out whilst traveling through space and time it'n it?"

The Doctor patted Jackie on the head and brushed past her, following Lilith's example. He could hear Jackie running behind him, but mostly because her objections.

"I'm telling you, we're fine without you coming about, bringing all your dangers along with you… She left to keep him safe from that sort…" Jackie stopped shouting for a moment to catch her breath.

"That's alright then, didn't plan on taking them along," The Doctor replied. "Actually, come to think of it… I may actually stay a while… Just to piss you off Jackie. Wouldn't that prove to be fun? Fancy me as a flat mate?"

The Doctor bound up the last flight of the stairwell to the Tyler flat and knocked on the door. Luckily Lilith had gotten lost and found Jackie right as she was about to follow the Doctor up. Even luckier was the fact Lilith somehow managed stall Jackie for long enough for a private reunion. There was sound of scrambling on the other side of the door, followed by a loud thud against the door.

"You forget your keys again mum? All the auto locks have latched but the key locks haven't, that's how I can tell," Rose's voice called. "The utility truck woke me just a moment ago so you came home just in time…" Locks were being turned. "Did you bring something home for lunch?" The door flung open and Rose gasped in shock, leaping back a few steps. "Doctor?"

"Hello again," The Doctor greeted happily.

Rose looked at him, wide-eyed. Then her eyes just sort of rolled back in her head and she collapsed. The Doctor caught her before she could hit the ground.

888

Slowly, Rose came around and her eyes centered in on her mother. "Must have been a dream…" Rose murmured, rubbing her eyes. "The utility truck sounds so much like the TARDIS that I must have been dreaming he was here…" A figure came up behind her mother's head. Rose looked up and…

"Actually, that wasn't a dream," The Doctor said, peeping in over Jackie's head, grinning excitedly. "I am here."

Rose's eyes widened as she sat up to look at the Doctor. She could feel her heart racing and her breathing become somewhat faster. "My mind is playing tricks on me it'n mum?" Rose asked. "I must have just hit my head harder than I thought yesterday and… and this is all just some bizarre dream sort of thing. Because you are not supposed to be here!" She leapt to her feet, pointing her finger at the Doctor accusingly.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. Lilith, which had been looming behind him, bound over to Rose and promptly pinched her on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Rose asked, rubbing the pinch mark. She looked to her mother. "I have to go… I really, really have to go. I'll be back, just give me a some room." She stared at the Doctor, he struggled for words, but Rose didn't give him a chance… She quickly grabbed her coat and raced from the flat and down the stairwell.

To say the least, she was panicking. Her mind whirred as she walked the familiar route. Just a little over three years had passed since she had bid The Doctor farewell. And now seemed as good of time as any to go pick up the reason she had to say that farewell. Tears stung her eyes.

What was he doing back so soon? She had been sure she'd told him to wait at least nineteen years. That would've given her time, time to figure out how to tell the Time Lord about the reason she'd left so abruptly. It would've given her time to explain the vastness of his existence to the young boy that was born only three months after she had stepped off the TARDIS.

She had only been three months along when she'd departed. A six-month pregnancy, who would have thought it? But by all rights, the local pediatrician had not found anything odd or strange about her son.

Ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, one heart.

Even Rose had been perplexed by the one heart. She remembered being nervous because of the prospect of him having two, like the Doctor. But no, there had been one steady, very human heartbeat. In a way a very big relief.

Rose sat on a bench in front of the pre-school and put her face in her hands. The Doctor's arrival had thrown all sorts of snags in her plans. The key to the plan was to keep her son safe from harm until he was old enough to learn the wisdom of his father.

Of course, maybe now she could get answers to why Dee had been walking before his first birthday -- the pediatrician had said he was developing a little fast for his age but nothing noticeably wrong. By time he was two, he was able to communicate in full sentences -- which the pediatrician had the boy tested and his IQ was higher than anything they had seen from a two year old. Well she had to expect something different; the Doctor had contributed half of his son's genetic make up.

Now Dee was three, soon to be four in a matter of months, and the pre-school he was in treated him like he was a prize. He could even memorize fifteen page books, a talent not even the older kids had. She wondered if that was considered normal for Time Lord children, and since the Doctor was there, he could help her to understand.

Rose took a deep breath and tried to get things into perspective. The Doctor was here, now. That could only mean one thing; danger had to be lurking about. She wondered if it was alien invasion or the rift becoming unstable again, it could be anything, she refused to speculate. The Doctor and Danger were always such good friends. So maybe it was good that he had come. But how was she going to explain her son? Or would she have to explain?

She stood and the concrete path to the pre-school. The moment she walked in, the head of the pre-school approached her and pulled her to a quiet place. It didn't surprise Rose, however, she was rather used to getting small details of her son's day from the woman. Rose couldn't help but wonder what sort of stories the woman would have today.

"He was an angel as always, Miss Tyler," the woman whispered. "But right after their after-nap snack… They went out into the playgrounds and he knelt down to touch the ground. Caught one of the caregivers completely off guard when he asked her if she could feel 'it'… She asked him what he meant and --" The woman's voice dropped in awe. "-- and he said 'The Earth moving.' Been going around asking everyone all day."

Rose smiled gently and went to the doorway leading into the activity room. Dee was standing in the middle of the room, his arms spread out at his shoulders, spinning around as fast as his feet would allow him. She looked over her shoulder to the administrator. "He was asking me and my mum both last night and most of the weekend." She looked back at him and smiled softly. "Just like his father, he is."

Dee lost his balance and toppled over. Rose laughed and clapped her hands over her mouth. The little boy sat up, beaming proudly. Rose walked over and scooped him into her arms. "Find anyone that can feel it yet Dee?"

"One girl said she could and started spinning about," Dee said promptly. "I told 'er that was just the fluids and stuff in her head making her feel like ever'thing was spinning, that she wasn't really feeling it. But it looked fun so I did it too."

"You ready to go home and see grandmum?" Rose asked.

Dee looked off toward the direction of Powell Estates and nodded gently, biting his lower lip nervously. "See you tomorrow!" he called, wiggling out of Rose's arms and racing for the door. "Come on Mum, Gran said she was bringing home some sweets today!" He put his nose in the air slightly. "Wait a minute…"

Rose brushed her hair out of her face and watched Dee as he ran back to her and started digging in her coat pocket. He pulled a few sweets from the bottom of her pocket with a victorious grin. He waved goodbye to the administrator and took his mother's hand. He dragged her out the door and started toward their home a few blocks away.

"Why are you so eager to get home Dee?" Rose asked as she tried to plant her feet firmly against the pavement. "You've never been like this, storming straight home… Don't you want to go to the comics shop or something first like we usually do?"

The boy stopped and turned to her, the expression on his face was unreadable as he looked up at her as if she had said something amiss. "No," was all he said and released her hand.

He began to walk away on his own, Rose leapt forward and caught his shoulder, spinning him around to look at her when she knelt down to his level. "Why not? You're always on about wanting to go get some comics or something or other when I come get you. Why not today?"

Dee gave a crooked smile and patted her cheek affectionately. "Because, mum, before today I couldn't feel them. I knew they were coming. But they're here now and I really want to see him mum. I do, I really do." He took her hand and gave her the biggest set of puppy-dog eyes he could muster. "So can we please go home Mum? I know Gran isn't having any sweets there but… _he's_ there."

Rose smiled gently at her son. For some reason, she felt she didn't have to ask Dee who was at the flat. "You're not scared? Mummy's scared."

"That's okay Mum," Dee grinned. "I'll hold your hand and you'll be all right." He threw his arms around her neck for a quick hug. "Can we go now?"

"Ugh," Rose mock scoffed, tweaking Dee's nose. "Mister Sensitive you are." In spite of her tease, she was very proud of her brave little boy.

She stood back at full height and Dee slipped his small hand into hers. Dee looked up at her, stumbling over his own feet slightly at first, until he got used to not watching the ground as he walked. "Do you think he'll like me Mum?"

Rose pulled the boy to a stop and knelt down to his level again. "You can sense him here can't you Dee?" Dee nodded slightly in response so Rose continued, "Odds are, he can sense you too." She bit on her bottom lips nervously. "I'm just sacred because I thought I would have nineteen years to get you ready for this day. But 'ere he is, only been gone little less than four years. But if that's the case, we all must be in danger."

"No, not really," an all too familiar voice said.

Rose jolted to her feet. "Doctor!" She held Dee close to her leg with a protective hand on the side of his head. "Did you follow me?" But, the Doctor didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, his eyes were latched on the little boy hiding behind her leg.


	8. Chapter 8: Human Frustrations

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Very AU.

* * *

Chapter Eight - Human Frustrations

* * *

_Rose jolted to her feet. "Doctor!" She held Dee close to her leg with a protective hand on the side of his head. "Did you follow me?" But, the Doctor didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, his eyes were latched on the little boy hiding behind her leg._

The Doctor knelt down so that he was almost eye level with the boy hiding behind Rose's legs. "Oh come on, you know I'm alright. I could sense you right when I arrived. Could you sense me and Lilith?"

Dee gave a slight nod. "Mum said there might be danger," he said timidly. "So I'm hiding behind her just in case."

"Well, danger tends to stay behind her at any rate so that's not exactly the safest place to be," the Doctor replied, glancing up at Rose mischievously. "Isn't that right Rose? You always managed to outrun danger so it was behind you instead of in front."

No Answer except a stony gaze.

The Doctor stood back at his full height. "No hug?" He held his arms up in invitation. After a moment of standing there, he let his arms drop and he put his hands in his pockets. "Ah, you're angry. A slap then? Your m u m's already given me one of those so you may want to do it on this side if you want me to feel it." He indicated his left cheek. "No? Okay, I lied, it's the other side. I didn't want to feel it if you slapped me."

"Four years," Rose finally said, brushing her hair out of her face when the wind blew. "I hadn't planned for you to come back this early. How long has it been for you?"

"Three days, maybe?" The Doctor replied. "Hard to know when in the TARDIS. Just left you and the kids on Gallifrey -- oh, pardon, -- _New_ Gallifrey and came back to… well, you and the kids." He offered her an amused smile after a brief confused expression, which she did not seem to even think about returning. "But enough about that, not all that important right now, really… Well, it _is_ important but I shouldn't really be telling you the lot should I?"

"There's only one," Rose said quietly. She eyed him speculatively. "If it's only been three days… who's Lilith? Is she the new girl?" When the Doctor nodded, Rose scoffed, "You work quick, I'll give ya that much."

"She's just a friend," The Doctor replied lightly. "Fellow Time Lord you could say. Wanted to come along to see Dee as a little one. She's a bit fond of him as an adult you see…"

"His future girlfriend?" Rose asked in surprise, the vinegar taken out of her indignation.

"No!" The Doctor exclaimed. He caught himself and smiled weakly, adjusting his tone to a more calm one. "No. It's sort of complicated, more of a love/hate relationship between them really. I'll let her explain it later. So, what about you Rose Tyler? What have you been doing for four years?"

"Keeping Dee off the Torchwood radars by working with them," Rose replied, brushing her hair out of her face again. "They're pretty good at tracking down alien life and technology as long as it's not right under their noses." She gazed at him, sighing heavily. Then, without warning she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I've missed you."

The Doctor grinned and picked Rose up about her waist, hugging her. Rose's only response was trying to hug him even tighter, trying to get him even closer.

"I just can't hug you tight enough," Rose breathed when The Doctor set her feet back to the ground. "So if there's no eminent danger, no sort of alien threats on the horizon… Why'd you come?"

"Well, with New Gallifrey and the entirety of space and time about to collapse in two days, I figured I should come back and make the most of things before risking my life once again," The Doctor replied. He had actually been trying not to dwell on all the things Lilith had been telling him when the two of them were huddled together on the Gallifreyan platform, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to let her know a little of the information beforehand. "Well, actually, Lilith told me I needed to so… here I am. Said it could be my last chance, so I took the chance." He felt a slight tug on his coat so he looked down at the little boy gazing up at him with nothing short of worship. "Yes?"

"Can we go on a trip soon?" Dee asked sweetly.

"Dee," Rose said in a warning tone. "You're too lit--"

"Certainly!" The Doctor boasted, scooping the boy up. Rose pursed her lips and glared at The Doctor, however, the Doctor was oblivious to look. "But not right now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day. If there's one thing I certainly cannot do, it's stay in one place for too long. So where do you fancy going?"

"I don't know," Dee replied.

"Well," The Doctor sighed, looking at Rose. "Takes after you does he? Not knowing where he wants to go in a ship that can literally go anywhere at anytime…" He nodded toward the complex. "Let's go, I'm sure Lilith has had plenty of time to drive your mum insane by now."

888

The girl had not driven Jackie Tyler insane just yet, but she _had_ managed to drive the woman from the flat for the night. In fact, she had nearly driven everyone from the flat for the night with her constant bantering about her beloved brother -- even though only the Doctor knew who it was -- and how he was one of the first "new" Time Lords that ended up teaching at the re-established Gallifrey University because he decided to "go domestic".

It had turned out Lilith rivaled the Doctor when he was in a frenzy. She had only calmed down once the Doctor threatened to zap her mouth away with the sonic screwdriver.

"It doesn't have a setting for that," she had challenged. Her confidence faltered when The Doctor gave her an unwavering gaze. "Does it?" She had even taken a few uncertain steps toward Rose, in an attempt to hide behind her.

The Doctor flicked a few switches and then pointed it at her with intent. "Try me," was all it took to make the girl grow quiet.

Later, when Rose and The Doctor had retreated to Jackie's bedroom -- because Lilith had collapsed onto Rose's bed some hours earlier and Dee's little bed was also in the room -- Rose had finally asked, "Does it really have a setting for removing mouth's?" She leaned back against the door and candidly turned the latch.

The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and studied it as he plopped down on the bed. "Not that I know of. But it could have. All I have to do is modify it a little and it will have." He grinned cheekily and re-pocketed the sonic screwdriver. He took off his coats, kicked his trainers off, and whirled his feet onto the bed. "So… Questions? I know you have them, so ask away Rose Tyler."

Rose took a seat on the edge of the bed next to the Doctor.

The Doctor clasped his hands behind his head as he leaned back on the pillows, watching the play of emotions cross Rose's face as she mentally searched for the right thing to ask first.

"He only had one heart," she stated.

"That's good," The Doctor replied with a slight smile. "Second heart only comes after the first regeneration. Perfectly normal." He suddenly sat up, so that his face was level with hers. "How long did the pregnancy last? On Gallifrey, there wasn't any, the kids were loomed… Came out all shiny and new. They could walk shortly after coming out of the loom."

"Six months," Rose replied. "He was about six months old when he took his first steps, and about a year old he was already a pro at walking and running. At two he was already carrying on conversations. The pediatrician was amazed. Wanted to know what I was feeding him to make him so smart. Didn't know why I laughed when I told him 'lots of bananas'."

The Doctor blinked. "Well… I think what happened was, The Gallifreyan aspects sped up a few human processes while the human aspects slowed down a few of the Gallifreyan. The two bloodlines are sort of working together. It's like nothing I've seen before…"

"There's just so many things," Rose sighed. "But above all of them, since I know you've seen him…" Rose put her hands over the Doctor's. "What's he like… in the future? Is he safe?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. He's brilliant, actually. You lot had me going for a while actually. Had me thinking you had met some other lad made yourself a tribe of your own."

Rose's eyes widened. "I have more? I mean, we… You and I have others? You mentioned 'kids' earlier, too."

The Doctor nodded again. "Four and Lilith."

Rose gasped. "She's… she's ours then?"

The Doctor smiled gently. "She belongs to everyone… She's a child of Gallifrey, Rose. Her mother is the Empress of Time and Space."

Rose gave an awkward look. "They got one of those?" The Doctor nodded slightly and Rose couldn't help but ask, "You never mentioned 'er before."

"I didn't think she actually existed!" The Doctor laughed. He sat up so that his face was only a few inches from hers and he was gazing down into her eyes intently. "Funny thing, hearing fairy tales growing up and then one day finding out they're all true… How would you feel if you ever found out there was a real Puss in Boots or Mother Goose? It's one thing to hear stories about the Warui Ookami Cluster -- That's where Barcelona is by the way -- but to find out the Empress was _real_…" His voice trailed off and he gave Rose an odd look. "Extraordinary…" He muttered on with something that vaguely resembled sounding like "how far it reached".

Rose caught his eyes as he gazed at her, the disbelief in his eyes only served to fuel her even more questions. But, she felt as if she had gotten the important ones, about Dee, answered. Perhaps later she would have more, but for right now, Rose was becoming very aware that her Doctor was sitting on a bed, right in front of her.

"Doctor," Rose said softly. She put on her best imitation of innocence. "You do realize that, since I had you leave me here, there's been no one else."

The Doctor gave her a somewhat cocky little smile as he sat back and folded his hands behind his head again. "No one at all? Not even Mister Mickey when you were in dire need?"

Rose wrinkled her nose slightly and shook her head. "No one," she confirmed. "Oh 'e tried a couple of times after Dee was born. Friendly dinner and movie sort of excuse. Went back to his place, he tried to make a move… I started talking about you." Rose preened proudly. "Nothing puts 'im off quicker than talking about you."

"But I'm fun to talk about," The Doctor said in a mock offended tone. "Why wouldn't he want to talk of me? I only took his girlfriend off to see space and time and started a new Human-Time Lord hybrid race with her. Most races would be thrilled to join with the Time Lords, well if they knew what Time Lords were… which most don't. Ah, I think I see the inherent problem. Tell me again why he wouldn't he like talking about me? Because last I checked, I was brilliant."

Rose patted the Doctor's leg. "And full of yourself." She rubbed his leg slightly and raised her eyebrows suggestively. "'ey Doctor… It's been four years."

The Doctor nodded casually. "I know…" He startled slightly. "Oh… And you've just locked me in this room with you, haven't you?" He suddenly looked a little worried when Rose reached up to play with the lapels of his overcoat.

Rose looked at him with desperation, clutching the lapels tightly in her fists. "As I said… It's _been_ almost _four years._ It may have only been a few days for you but I've been four years without any sort of relief from normal human _frustrations_."

"Part of me thinks that I would much rather take on the entirety of the assembled fleets of the Daleks than to get between you and my trousers," the Doctor smirked, loosening his tie a little.

He remained looking cool and calm, as if he didn't care that Rose was currently ready to tear him to pieces -- in a good way, mind -- at any given moment. Instead of pressing the matter, Rose forced a smile and delicately smoothed down the front of The Doctor's shirt.

"Oh, it's not _that_ important, Doctor. After all, it's _only_ been four years," Rose picked a tiny ball of lint off The Doctor's lapel and flicked it away. If he could play hard to get, so could she, though Rose doubted she would be able to win the battle of the wills in the end. "I can wait until you've gotten frustrated too."

She patted his leg playfully, stood, and then headed for the door. Before she had turned her back on him, Rose had seen The Doctor do a double-take and sit up in surprise. Rose tried not to smirk.

"I'm taking it the 'hard to get' act doesn't work on you anymore," he said with a exasperated sigh. "Guess this means I have to take more direct tactics then? You know, there's this one planet we should go to. They get severely offended if you don't just out and say what you are wanting."

Rose bit her bottom lip and leaned her forehead against her bedroom down, trying not to laugh.

"I actually made that mistake once," The Doctor continued. "Bad idea to play coy with those people. They ended up chasing me back to the TARDIS with sticks. Not just any sticks either, sticks with the tips sharpened. When they first threatened me, I ran for it. And that body wasn't nearly as young and able as this one, so it wasn't an easy task."

Rose turned and leaned her back against the door. "Now you're just trying to make me laugh."

He had leaned back on the headboard again with his hands tucked behind his head. "Actually I was telling the truth. But that's not what really matters right now is it?" He patted the bed next to him. "Because there is a nice comfortable bed right here. The little one and the crazy one are sleeping, your mum is out for the night. We should make the most of it while we can."

Rose bit down on her bottom lip and rocked on her heels.

She just couldn't grasp the thought that the Doctor was there in front of her. He wasn't angry with her or annoyed with her, as far as she could tell. In fact, him and Dee had acted like old pals getting reunited after a long time apart. She couldn't have asked for a warmer response from him, considering the circumstances. Nor could she have asked for a warmer look in his eyes than the one he was currently giving her while he stroked and patted the bed next to him, trying to coax her over again.

"Come on Rose," the Doctor said in a low, slightly pleading tone.

She couldn't help but comply.

After all… it had been four years for her.


	9. Chapter 9: Ambrosia

Title: Rebirth of the Time Lords  
Author: RamblingRose  
Rated: PG  
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.  
Notes: 10/Rose. Very AU.

* * *

Chapter Nine - Ambrosia

* * *

_The drink of the Gods_… 

The Doctor would later laugh and tell Rose she should have known better than to indulge in ambrosia, but who could blame her? As the saying went, "When in Rome" -- or rather "Greece," as their case was. Of course it hadn't been _real_ ambrosia, since the real nectar was rather poisonous to mortals, it had only been a rather good imitation.

Though, no one had warned them that it was a drink also used to help induce "over-ripened" females into labour until after the fact. Needless to say one cup of the nectar drink had sent water splashing to the floor the moment they stood to leave Plato's home. Rose's dress had instantly become drenched and the Doctor had simultaneously launched into a state of panic, primarily because they hadn't known Rose was at the stage in her pregnancy to be considered "over-ripened."

It hadn't been because he was worried about the health of the twins Rose was carrying in her proud belly, but because he was fairly sure Jackie would kill him _at least _three times once they arrived back at Powell Estates for letting the twins be born in Ancient Greece. She had actually made a point of threatening that very thing, right before they left, so he wouldn't put it past her to keep to her word. Thankfully, Lilith had thought to scoop up Dee while the Doctor tried to hurry Rose back to the TARDIS, while shouting a quick thank you and goodbye to Plato over his shoulder.

888

Once back in the TARDIS the Doctor tried to take charge. "Lilith, get Rose to the… the… the thing… with the… stuff for things and… you know what I mean!" the Doctor yelled, desperately turning knobs and pulling levers.

"The infirmary?" Lilith asked unsurely. "Won't you need help with the--"

"I've steered the TARDIS plenty on my own before," the Doctor pointed out. "So get Rose to the infirmary before I mis-turn a knob and we end up in Cambodia, 1837."

As soon as the two women had disappeared down the corridor, the Doctor turned toward the console seat and grinned at Dee. The six-year-old boy bounced fervently in his seat and then slipped to the floor. "What do you need me to do?" he asked excitedly.

"You see that lever?" the Doctor asked. When Dee nodded, the Doctor continued. "That's the… the --- oh bother, it's not important what it is right now. Just push it toward the console and hold it steady if you can." The Doctor hurried around the console and adjusted, pumped, and turned as many things as he could. "Dee, there's a crank about six inches from you. I need you to turn it clockwise about four and half times and push it in. But try to keep hold of that lever."

888

When the Doctor arrived in the infirmary Rose was sitting on the side of the little bed. Her and Lilith were giggling over something or other. Rose gave him a bright smile the moment he walked in.

"Doctor, Lilith and I were just having a laugh about this whole situation. I was thinking, could we name the girl Ambrosia? Lilith said I should maybe run it past you to see what you thought. A bit of a secret joke about her birth…" she trailed off.

Lilith stroked Rose's hair affectionately then walked over to the Doctor. "She hasn't stopped laughing since I gave her a sedative," she said in a low voice. "She's very relaxed and calm, all the readouts are normal. I'm going to go get Jackie and Mickey. Where's Dee, I'll take him along with me."

"He's in the console room watching television," the Doctor provided. "We've just arrived at Powell Estates, so they should be knocking at the door shortly."

As soon as Lilith had exited the room, Rose gave the Doctor a wide grin. "So? What do you think? Ambrosia? 'S that sound like a good enough name?"

The Doctor took a seat next to Rose on the bed. "Sounds wonderful," the Doctor replied with a knowing smile.

Rose gawked. "Oh, dirty!" she laughed, giving him a playful shove. "You already knew that's what I was going to name her didn't you? I should change my mind just to spite you now." She smiled gently and put her hand on her stomach. "She likes Ambrosia, so we'll keep it."

"You never told me, Rose… What's it like?" The Doctor carefully placed his hand on Rose's stomach. "I mean, I can feel their presence there. Every little atom of their existence…"

"It's… strange," Rose said quietly. "I mean, when I was pregnant with Dee, mum had told me --" she did her best to imitate her mother's voice. "Oh, this will happen and you'll feel this, experience that. I did but… it was different. I can feel them, I can _hear _them. I know what they know and they know everything."

A troubled look crossed her features. "Something's happening. She's scared. She's screaming. Something's going wrong!"

The door of the infirmary was thrust open and Lilith looked at Rose wildly. "Doctor," Lilith said in a worried tone. "Ambrosia is dying."

888

After a lot of screaming and cursing on Rose's part two little bundles were delivered. The boy, which Rose named after Mickey -- to be called Mick -- was set carefully into her arms. The Doctor and Lilith had spared no moments in getting Ambrosia to the Zero Room, to see if it would help her situation any.

888

"Why! What's going on? Why is she dying Lilith?" the Doctor asked quietly.

"I don't know," was the whispered reply. "You and I both saw… she's perfectly alive and well in the future…" Lilith paused and gently touched the tiny little baby in the sterile crib. "We both've seen her… Arrogant, haughty, snot-nosed brat Ambrosia," Lilith said with affection.

Jackie, Mickey, and Dee were in the infirmary with Rose and the newborn Mick. The Doctor and Lilith had tracked down the Zero Room in record time and taken Ambrosia there in hopes that maybe it would help. But over a hundred scans later, Ambrosia's life signs were still rapidly failing.

It was a weak heart that was doing her in. The tiny little heart couldn't keep up with the body. And some time very soon it would be giving up the struggle.

The Doctor did another scan of the baby and sighed heavily. "This is maddening. I can't do anything! All the technology of the universe is available to me in the TARDIS and I can't do a damn thing to stop this."

He looked over to Lilith and froze. The girl was trembling fiercely; her eyes were blank of any expression. Suddenly, she looked at him sharply the blank eyes suddenly becoming aglow with a golden light. When she opened her mouth to speak, it wasn't her voice that spoke to him.

"My Doctor," the soft voice said. "There is… one way. It will damage her, but she will be made stronger by it."

The Doctor hesitated. In what way could the Empress save the failing child?

"You have seen firsthand that whoever controls all of time and space can easily control life and death. It is but a quirk of matter, as you have said before."

"But it is not your place to do that," the Doctor pointed out, pacing the small room. "And I thought I told you that Lilith is not your celestial carrier pigeon!" he spat this out transferring his helplessness to anger.

"What I do with my daughter is not your concern." The golden eyes narrowed. "Would you have me take away all the things I have already returned to you? They are all things that it was not my place to restore but I did it out of gratitude for all the things you have done for me. If that is what you wish, then I will restore the rule of the Daleks, I will take away Gallifrey, all of your children…" She paused slightly, "…and Rose. Which would you prefer? A paradox created by your hands or one created by mine? To help you make an informed decision I will let you know, the one made by your hands would undo the entirety of time and space since the last moments of your previous regeneration."

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply but then promptly closed it. It wasn't often people, or in this instance _beings_, left him speechless. Part of him knew that, as a Time Lord, he was usually a better judge of what should and should not exist better than most. But, in this case the Empress of Time and Space might possibly know a little bit better than him -- _but only a little_, his Time Lord pride added even though he knew she knew much better than he did.

He scanned Ambrosia one last time and looked at Lilith. He took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. "Do whatever you have to."

"Leave us," the Empress said firmly as Lilith carefully gathered the infant into her arms.

"But--"

"_Leave us!_" she shouted with much more authority.

The Doctor jumped back slightly. With much hesitation, he backed away to the door and eased out of the room. He rested his forehead against the cold door for several minutes before pushing away from it and heading back toward the infirmary.

888

"She slept for a bloomin' week after Dee was born. Just sorta passed out and didn't do anything but breathe for eight days straight," Jackie was saying in a hushed tone, to Mickey, as the Doctor walked back into the infirmary. Dee was clinging to her leg, watching the door. She had baby Mick in her arms, gently swaying back and forth to give him the impression of being rocked. "But you wouldn't know of all that sort, Mickey. She didn't want anyone around her at that time. I hardly got to see her out of her room until Dee 'ere was born."

Dee gave the Doctor a sneaky grin. "Is my little sister going to be okay?" he asked, running over to the Doctor and tugging on his trousers leg.

The Doctor knelt down and scooped Dee onto his hip. "I don't know. How is Rose, Jackie?"

"Sleeping," Jackie bristled. "If you hadn't taken her off --"

"It would have still happened Jackie so don't start giving me a lecture. I'll be able to give you a lecturing that would make your head spin if you so much as think of blaming me for this," the Doctor interrupted. To his surprise, Jackie clamped her mouth shut and retreated to a close by chair.

Jackie eyed him as if expecting some sort of explanation as to why her granddaughter was dying when she was born.

"Weak heart," a vague voice whispered. It took everyone in the room a moment to realize that it was Rose. "Couldn't help that Mum. She just had a weak heart." Rose carefully sat up and her eyes instantly latched onto the Doctor. "Where is she?"

Just as the Doctor opened his mouth to respond, the TARDIS gave a loud groan and shuddered violently -- which alone was odd considering she wasn't travelling or getting ready to materialize somewhere. The lights began flickering as the ship convulsed, as if she was about to become horribly sick.

The Doctor quickly lowered Dee to the floor and raced out of the infirmary and down the corridors.

When he reached the Zero Room, just as the lights went completely out, he tried the door but it stayed firmly in place. The TARDIS rumbled and groaned painfully. It gave one last convulsion and everything stilled and became eerily quiet.

Slowly, the TARDIS began to show signs of being alive. First with a gentle humming and the return of the lights. The door of the Zero Room flung open and Lilith staggered out. The Doctor caught her just before she tumbled to the ground. Lilith blabbered incoherently, a wild look in her eyes as she tried to right herself.

Jackie and Mickey ran up in the middle of Lilith's blabbering. After about five minutes of the strange behaviour, Lilith snapped instantly to attention. "Oi," she barked, looking at Mickey and Jackie sharply. They both jumped slightly.

Lilith grinned brightly and stepped into the doorway. "First things first Doctor," her smile faded. "I have no control over what happened. Between the combination of me and my mother… we were able to make sure none of the usual risks and endangerments during the process did anything…"

"What did you do to Ambrosia?" the Doctor asked. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine. She's absolutely smashing in fact," Lilith said proudly.

"What did you do to her?" It was Rose's weak voice that took everyone's attention from the Zero Room door. She was holding the other baby securely in her arms and Dee was obediently at her side.

Lilith bounded over to Rose and lightly placed her hands on the woman's shoulders. "Rose. Don't be angry or anything. She would have died if it hadn't been done. But… She's better now, much better than you could ever imagine. She's just going to be… different."

"How… _different_? Or should I ask different _how_?" Rose asked slowly.

Lilith looked to the Doctor pleadingly. "She'll age slowly, until her mind catches up…"

"What did you do to her?" the others all demanded.

Lilith shrank away. "I'm just… trying to prepare you…"

"Mum…" a tremulous voice came from somewhere close to the ground.

For a moment both the Doctor and Rose looked at Dee, but the tiny frail voice was too gentle and soft for it to have been Dee. Lilith stepped into the Zero Room to allow the source of the small voice to walk out in front of her.

The Doctor's jaw dropped, Rose let out a slight scream of surprise, Jackie's face contorted into an expression that bordered shock and blind fury. The small form was wobbly in her slightly chubby limbs, wrapped up in the blanket she had been swaddled in prior to being raced to the Zero Room.

The dark brown eyes looked up at Rose and the Doctor. She cocked her head to the side curiously. "Are you my mummy and daddy?" she asked.

The Doctor dropped down to the unsteady child's level, taking her small face in his hands. "Two heartbeats… the knowledge of the entirety of space and time…" He looked at Lilith sharply. "There's a reason regeneration was not done by anyone except thoroughly prepared Time Lords…" dangerous anger flashed in his dark eyes.

"She'll be fine Doctor," Lilith said moodily. "I know you're confused by what you're seeing… But human children are _born_ with the knowledge of all those things. It's just as they get older… they forget. But Ambrosia won't forget."

Rose knelt down and hesitantly reached out to touch Ambrosia's silky blond hair. Ambrosia weaved unsteadily and grabbed her mother's arm to keep from falling down. Rose looked between the child that looked about a year old standing in front of her and the small newborn held securely with her arm.

When Rose looked up and caught the Doctor's eyes, there were so many questions in the depths of her brown eyes. The Doctor instinctive knew what she was wanting know.

"Loomings… when we first came out of the loom… we could walk and talk within a few hours," he explained. "I can only guess that when the regeneration happened… it did the best it could. Time Lords usually can't regenerate until they are at least 150 or so years old…" The Doctor gazed at Ambrosia for a long moment. "This is completely out of my sphere of experience."

They both looked to Lilith, who had the decency to look strained. "I, or rather my mum, had to help her of course. She would not have managed on her own. She needed the second heart to survive. Can't you see it was the only way?" the young woman pleaded. "My mum _healed_ her, made her better.

The Doctor sighed, he'd already met Ambrosia in the future so he supposed it was fated, or predetermined. "Fine!" he said irritated then relented and spoke more gently for the children's sake. "What now?"

"What do you mean, 'what now'?" Rose asked, her eyes glimmering with tears as she gently pulled Ambrosia closer. "We adapt, we go on. There's nothing we can do to change it and frankly…" she looked up at Lilith. "Thank you, Lilith. And, if you can easily communicate with your mum… Give _her_ my thanks too."

"She knows," Lilith whispered.


End file.
